Planned closures - discussion

[ozbob]

No replacement bus timetables?

Looks like TransLink/QR are going backward again.

I think they are still working it all up.  I haven't heard how the trial went, but the impression I got from TL is that they do want do it for all planned closures.

[achiruel]

Fair enough; I imagine the Ferny Grove line, being rather short and only have the single replacement route is easier than doing the longer suburban/interurban lines where there tends to be a mixture of all-stops and express routes, and some short-workings which don't cover the full length of the closures.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1057181599127625729

[brissypete]

No further mentions of timetabled rail bus services. Also station signage is the same old mediocre effort, guess I'll see plenty of people waiting for non existent trains this weekend.

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[achiruel]

If TransLink had any sense and gave a sh*t about passengers, they'd be running directly from Corinda to UQ and from Murarrie and Yeerongpilly to UQ Lakes on Saturday morning, but unfortunately that test does not hold true.

[ozbob]

Even Adelaide Metro can manage rail replacement bus timetables ... I do wonder about TransLink and its committment ... 

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1057663234818289664

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1057664995629031424

[ozbob]

Another track closure, another cluster-fuk ...   

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1058842247448285185

You are a major embarrassment @TransLinkSEQ @QueenslandRail !
Time for a proper public transport authority, with the resources, staff, structure and will to improve the festering mess!#liftyourgame#qldpol

— ozbob13 (@ozbob13) November 3, 2018

[ozbob]

It is sad state of affairs these days. 

A Minister for Transport who has lost it completely, a transport agency that is just babbling incompetence, a rail operator that fudges OTR.   

We have the lot!!  The greater the cluster-fuks the more acute become the retorts of world class transport!

[ozbob]

Any one know what is going on to close Corinda to Roma Street ( some days out to Darra ) during 22nd <> 29th December 2018.

See December at https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/forcustomers/trackclosures/12monthcalendar

I hope they at least manage to get their signage right during this prolonged closure.  I am not overly hopeful though.

[achiruel]

Any one know what is going on to close Corinda to Roma Street ( some days out to Darra ) during 22nd <> 29th December 2018.

See December at https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/forcustomers/trackclosures/12monthcalendar

Click on the closure, it brings up more information.

In this case, it's "Roma Street to Corinda Resignalling project commissioning."

Clever how they've extended the closure over Christmas and Boxing Days to reduce the number of crew needed for those days. 

[ozbob]

Thanks, forgot to do that.   

[aldonius]

Track work tonight as is the Wednesday tradition. The train I was on through the city purported to be a Ferny Grove train on the platform PID at Central.

Onboard announcements said otherwise - instructed to detrain at Fortitude Valley. Through the centre, across the street... 15 minute wait for the next scheduled R395. OK then.

[ozbob]

Track closure - Cleveland line

Last reviewed: Wednesday 7 Nov 2018 at 12.56pm (6 days ago)

From approximately 9.30pm Friday 23 November until the last service on Sunday 25 November, there will be track closures on the Cleveland line.

Timetabled railbuses (R295 and R296) will replace trains between Park Road and Cleveland stations.

Normal train services will resume from the first service on Monday 26 November.

Timetabled railbus trial

We are trialling something new on the Cleveland line! Timetabled railbus services.

The benefits of this trial include:

    A published timetable online and at stops
    The ability to journey plan
    Higher frequency for most of the day

Please check your rail replacement bus stop location.

Why are we trialling this? We are always looking for ways to improve your experience on our network. This includes how we keep you moving during a track closure. By providing a published timetable and higher frequency services, you'll be able to plan ahead and get where you need to go sooner.

[ozbob]

Redland City Bulletin --> TransLink introduces timetables for train replacement buses used during line closures

TRANSLINK is putting on two timetabled bus services to replace trains during track closures on the Cleveland line later this month.

It is the first time schedules have been published for replacement bus services used to ferry Cleveland line passengers during track closures.

Replacement buses have been used before but schedules were not available.

Passengers were told to instead plan for delays during and add extra travel time to their plans.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the bus services would being trialed during Cleveland line closures later this month, following trials undertaken on the Ferny Grove line.

"We've been pleased with the performance of trials on the Ferny Grove line and have received positive feedback from customers about the availability of timetable information," he said.

"Maintenance closures are an important part of running a safe and reliable rail network and this trial is designed to improve customer information during track closures."

Buses running every 30 minutes will ferry commuters between Murarrie and Park Road stations during closures on the Cleveland line from 9.30pm to the last service on both Tuesday, November 20 and Wednesday, November 21.

Passengers travelling between the Cleveland and Park Road stations will need to catch replacement buses from 9.30pm on Friday, November 23 to the last service on Sunday, November 25.

Queensland Rail has advised maintenance works on overhead lines, signalling, at stations and on tracks throughout the corridor are all planned throughout that weekend.

Lobby group Rail Back on Track's Robert Dow said he was pleased the state government had introduced the timetabled services to help commuters plan.

He said passengers had previously been left with too much uncertainty about scheduling.

"Some people have turned up to catch the first train and the replacement bus is not there," he said.

"We have been pushing for a while to have bus timetables for planned closures.

(The state government) is still sorting out bumps and kinks but we want to be supportive rather than critical.

"Tracks closures are a fact of life but timetables help. Other states do it and it allows people to plan."

Mr Dow is conducting a public transport passenger survey, which is open until November 30. To fill out online, visit here.

For more information about TransLink, visit here.

[ozbob]

 


R295, R296 - Cleveland line rail replacement bus - 20-21 Nov and 23-25 Nov 2018 (PDF, 450 KB)

https://translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/timetables/181120-R295,R296,cleveland-line.pdf

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransLinkSEQ/status/1065375561822933002

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1065397406919880710

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransLinkSEQ/status/1070569030203961344

[brissypete]

https://twitter.com/TransLinkSEQ/status/1070569030203961344

While the translink site doesn't mention timetabled rail buses for this weekend the signs at South Brisbane mention Route R109.

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[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/QueenslandRail/status/1070859181673000960

[brissypete]

https://twitter.com/QueenslandRail/status/1070859181673000960

Looks like a well planned closure which is great to see. Rail bus schedules are already in journey planner, I'm off to Melbourne on Boxing Day and can search the journey from Fairfield to Domestic complete with R109 connection Park Rd to Bowen Hills. I'll allow additional time of course.

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[achiruel]

Unfortunately no such preparation for tomorrow's closure. JP simply tells me to take a Ferny Grove train to Roma St and change their to an Ipswich train. It has an alert for service updates, but doesn't give any further useful information.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsGoldCoast/status/1070928606732394496

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Key Brisbane rail stations to close over Christmas period

Brisbane's busiest rail stations south of Roma Street will shut down over the Christmas period to allow for a $56 million signalling upgrade.

The upgrades are planned for the line between Roma Street and Corinda, with all trains stopped between Saturday, December 22, and Saturday, December 29.

The Bowen Hills service to Albion, Park Road and Darra stations will close from Christmas Day to Boxing Day and then close again on Saturday, December 29.

Buses will replace the affected trains, with affected travellers not required to tap on and off for bus trips.

Queensland Rail chief executive Nick Easy said the installations would "future-proof" the rail lines and reduce the need for future maintenance.

"The rail signalling system through this area is nearing the end of its service life and over the eight-day closure Queensland Rail crews will work around the clock to complete final commissioning and testing works on this major $56 million overhaul," Mr Easy said.

He said Queensland Rail was working with TransLink to ensure the additional buses required would not affect normal bus routes and travellers would have similar travel times.

The project would involve more than 100 Queensland Rail employees and was estimated to require 10,000 hours of labour.

Two additional track crossovers will also be developed near Milton station during the shutdown to help provide more flexibility for trains during special events.

Mr Easy said Queensland Rail usually saw a 50 per cent reduction in the number of trips taken over the Christmas period, making it the best time to shut down the rail lines.

"Due to the complex nature of the upgrade, these commissioning works can only be carried out when no trains are operating, and our teams require uninterrupted access to the infrastructure," he said.

" ... Two additional track crossovers will also be developed near Milton station during the shutdown to help provide more flexibility for trains during special events. ... "  finally, we suggested that many years ago now .. 

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

8th December 2018

Rail replacement bus explicitly free for December track closures

Good Morning,

Thank you for the explicit direction that passengers will not be required to pay for the rail replacement bus portion of their journey during the track closures over the period 22nd to 29th December 2018 ( https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/forcustomers/trackclosures/network-upgrade-22-29-december-2018 ).

The fare situation on rail replacement buses is a vexed one.  Confusing and inconsistent.  We have called for years that a free travel policy on rail replacement bus be explicitly stated, until such time go card readers are active on rail replacement buses and passengers can use the system in the usual way.  Requiring passengers to some how touch on and off at closed rail stations and touch off at busy stations with uni-directional fare gates is near on impossible for many to comprehend. It is good to see that commonsense is being exercised for the forthcoming December track closures.  Thank you.

Good to note that two new track crossovers near Milton are being commissioned during this closure.  We suggested this needed to be done around 10 years ago!  Some things take time hey?   

Best wishes,

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1071072816882081795

[ozbob]

Facebook ..

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Rail replacement bus explicitly free for December track closureshttps://t.co/sOtBZBDg2U#qldpol pic.twitter.com/umLp7U0Aj1

— RAIL_BoT_Forum (@railbotforum) December 8, 2018

[ozbob]

A lot of punters think that travel on rail replacement is free - it is not officially ..

This is rather nonsensical stuff sitting on the TransLink page.   Vague and confusing ...   

The official policy: https://translink.com.au/service-updates/about-track-works How does a track closure affect me?

During planned track closures, buses will replace train services. You can find your station's rail replacement bus stop location or follow signage at the station.

Occasionally go card may not be available on replacement buses or at stations, however if you're able to, please use the go card reader at your station or purchase a paper ticket for travel prior to catching your rail replacement bus service.

In some cases it is not possible for customers to touch on or touch off their go card when regular scheduled rail services are replaced by bus services due to incidents or network maintenance.

We acknowledge that this may cause an inconvenience to you, and in circumstances where there are no readers available, you are permitted to board the rail replacement bus without a valid ticket. However, you will need to touch on or purchase a valid ticket when you transfer onto a standard or other TransLink service.

Please plan your journey in advance—check for upcoming track closures. Allow for extra travel time (approximately 60 minutes) if the closure affects you.

[red dragin]

So say I travelled from Caboolture to say Ipswich on a closure day. I'd cop two fares for the single journey, due to the free bus component?

I've not done the maths on if it is cheaper or not, as that's not my question.

[#Metro]

A lot of punters think that travel on rail replacement is free - it is not officially ..

This is rather nonsensical stuff sitting on the TransLink page.   Vague and confusing ...   

Wow, you need a whole flow chart to understand this. And you are paying for being inconvenienced!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

9th December 2018

Re: Rail replacement bus explicitly free for Dec track closures

Good Morning,

Why is the clear indication of free rail replacement bus travel a big deal?

This is from the TransLink web site at https://translink.com.au/service-updates/about-track-works

How does a track closure affect me?

During planned track closures, buses will replace train services. You can find your station's rail replacement bus stop location or follow signage at the station.

Occasionally go card may not be available on replacement buses or at stations, however if you're able to, please use the go card reader at your station or purchase a paper ticket for travel prior to catching your rail replacement bus service.

In some cases it is not possible for customers to touch on or touch off their go card when regular scheduled rail services are replaced by bus services due to incidents or network maintenance.

We acknowledge that this may cause an inconvenience to you, and in circumstances where there are no readers available, you are permitted to board the rail replacement bus without a valid ticket. However, you will need to touch on or purchase a valid ticket when you transfer onto a standard or other TransLink service.

Please plan your journey in advance—check for upcoming track closures. Allow for extra travel time (approximately 60 minutes) if the closure affects you.

A lot of passengers think that travel on rail replacement bus is free - it is not officially if you note the above.  But this is vague and confusing.  For example the line that " Occasionally go card may not be available on replacement buses or at stations .. ".  Functioning go card equipment is never operating on rail replacement buses.  Herein is the problem, TransLink ask passengers to access stations (where they can)  to touch on and then move to the rail replacement bus stop. This can be some distance from the station.  This is a change from what users have become used to.  When passengers board a normal route bus they touch on, when they leave the bus they touch off.  There is another complication with fare gates.  For example say a passenger travelling from Goodna to Roma Street and there is a closure between Corinda and Roma Street.  Passenger touches on at Goodna and then travels by train to Corinda.  On leaving the Corinda rail station they don't touch off (trying to do the right thing).   Board the bus and travel to Roma St.  Where do they then touch off?  They have to go inside Roma St. station and touch off at the fare gates.  There is a problem with fare gates in that they are directional for touch purposes.  If you are touched on and attempt to touch off at the entry side of the fare gates you get a fixed fare.  You have to touch off on the exit side.  Confused?  How do you think the average punter comprehends all of this?  They don't.

When passengers leave a rail replacement bus they are required to access a deserted station to touch off.  Is this safe?  We don't think it is particularly at night.

The correct thing to do is make all rail replacement bus travel free of ticketing requirements until such time functioning go card equipment is on rail replacement buses.  This is what is happening, sensibly for the closures 22nd to 29th December 2018.  Come on Minister Bailey, time to sort this out once and for all and make it official policy for all track closures.

Thank you.

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

8th December 2018

Rail replacement bus explicitly free for December track closures

Good Morning,

Thank you for the explicit direction that passengers will not be required to pay for the rail replacement bus portion of their journey during the track closures over the period 22nd to 29th December 2018 ( https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/forcustomers/trackclosures/network-upgrade-22-29-december-2018 ).

The fare situation on rail replacement buses is a vexed one.  Confusing and inconsistent.  We have called for years that a free travel policy on rail replacement bus be explicitly stated, until such time go card readers are active on rail replacement buses and passengers can use the system in the usual way.  Requiring passengers to some how touch on and off at closed rail stations and touch off at busy stations with uni-directional fare gates is near on impossible for many to comprehend. It is good to see that commonsense is being exercised for the forthcoming December track closures.  Thank you.

Good to note that two new track crossovers near Milton are being commissioned during this closure.  We suggested this needed to be done around 10 years ago!  Some things take time hey?   

Best wishes,

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1071432953123618816

[Stillwater]

What happens if someone touches on at a station using their go-card, boards the replacement bus and alights at a station where works are under way, with access to the go-card reader blocked due to the works that required the replacement bus in the first place?

[ozbob]

What happens if someone touches on at a station using their go-card, boards the replacement bus and alights at a station where works are under way, with access to the go-card reader blocked due to the works that required the replacement bus in the first place?

Will end up with a fixed fare ( if they are aware of such things ). Adjustment can be applied for.

[STB]

IMO I'm guessing the reason they don't make it officially free is because the government then needs to make it an official budget line for all closures which can be tricky to do for something like this, so easiest thing to do is to make it technically not free but not enforce it either.

I honestly never pay to use the rail replacement buses, it's never been properly enforced bar one time I was at Ipswich station many years ago with a station officer pointing people to touch on before boarding the bus, and no one bars an eyelid if you touch off if getting off the train to board a rail replacement bus.

Frankly, all rail replacement buses should just remain free.  I wouldn't bother installing the readers on board, it's an inconvenience in itself, so it's worth just making it free for all given it's only a temporary closure a few times a year.

[ozbob]

To be honest STB I don't think there will ever be functioning go card equipment on the rail replacement buses, so they just need to make it explicitly free to eliminate the confusion.  I have had reason to contact the Minister's office a couple of times over the last 8 years or so with people complaining they were booked for not having valid ticketing on rail replacement. On each occasion it turned out they were just warned.  I have been assured a number of times by staffers that enforcement will not be carried out on rail replacement, but that is not really a guarantee.  By stating it is free (as for the upcoming 22 - 29 December closures ) it is much better for all.  Be warned though, SNOs are usually very active on rail before and after rail replacement bus legs.  Don't have a problem with that.

[achiruel]

So say I travelled from Caboolture to say Ipswich on a closure day. I'd cop two fares for the single journey, due to the free bus component?

I've not done the maths on if it is cheaper or not, as that's not my question.

I would expect in that case, you touch on at Caboolture, off at Ipswich, although of course I'm not TTO. However if U received an infringement notice under such a circumstance, I'd be heading straight for the Ombudsman's office.

[ozbob]

Yes, there is nothing stopping you travelling on a rail replacement bus with valid ticketing.  My missus used to do that until she got tired of explaining to QR staff why she had to enter through the fare gates to touch off! 

It is simply a matter of working out what is the best option for a particular journey.  Depending on the journey in some cases you are better off not touching off when leaving the station for the rail bus, particularly if continuing on after the rail replacement leg.

[SurfRail]

I don't think the QR situation will ever be fixed.

G:Link is very simple - all the replacement services are run by Surfside so everything is DDA compliant, and it is all standard ticketing.

[achiruel]

I took the train to the Valley today which necessitated going through the closed South Brisbane section. However the default automated announcements were still in in the train ("This is a Brisbane City and Ferny Grove train, stopping at all stations"). The one time when they should override the default, and didn't bother to. 

[brissypete]

No timetabled rail buses for this coming weekends Beenleigh line closure.

Here's a photo of signage at Fairfield with the older style trackwork sign for this weekend and the much clearer sign for the Christmas closure.

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